brrfandomcom-20200214-history
SOTA c43s02
Text Early the next morning – after a long night Meadowlark and Antares both spent being heckled and teased by Aphrodisia, Sleipnir, and Avalon – Antares suited up in his armor, before pausing and silently reaching back to touch the holes where his wings would... had... normally fit through. He looked at these for a few long moments, rubbing his hoof along the edges and seeing the white bandaging beneath, before glancing up in surprising as Morning Glory said quietly from the doorway: “You don't have to do this if you don't want to. I can lead the team.” “No, no. I have to do this. I have to.” Antares said after a moment, and Meadowlark glanced up softly as well from where she was just finishing locking her Hornet Needle into place over her foreleg, the Pegasus giving her own small smile. “Besides, I... I got a feeling again.” “Wonderful. You are not a fortune teller, or a seer, Antares, so I honestly wish you'd stop acting like one.” Morning Glory said irritably, and the stallion gave her a flat look before the behemoth Destroyer sighed and rolled her eyes, asking after a moment: “But what do you predict now, Antares Mīrus? What new wonders will await us?” Antares sighed tiredly himself, and then he shook his head quickly before saying finally: “I think Psukhikos will have fled. No matter how strong she is, she's a coward... and since she hasn't reacted with 'fight,' I think she must have chosen 'flight.' After all, there haven't been any disappearances, not even from the military encampment... and the last time the soldiers investigated the fortress, they found the remains of several Thunderbirds that had shut down.” “These Replicants irk me. They hide behind puppets... and for everything I've been told Thesis has claimed to be, all I see are petty tyrants and monsters. I doubt that Thesis is anything but a coward himself...” Morning Glory shifted moodily, then added quietly: “But all the same I look forwards to meeting these foes in combat. No matter what else, they have vast powers I wish to pit myself against. I feel that I'm going to enjoy the challenges the future has yet to present to me.” The stallion smiled a little at this, shaking his head slowly before he murmured: “Well, I hope you do then, Morning Glory, because if this keeps up we're really going to need your help. I just...” He halted, glancing away before shaking his head slowly as he felt a faint hint of worry run through his mind, before looking at her and saying quietly: “Just try to remember you have more purpose than simply killing things, okay?” “You talk like I have a problem with my purpose being 'simply killing things,' Antares.” Morning Glory replied calmly, and the stallion sighed as Meadowlark glanced up with amusement, before the Destroyer rolled her head on her shoulders as liquid metal bled out over her face, then became a solid, gleaming mask. “Now hurry up. I'm eager to get under way.” “Alright, alright.” Antares grumbled, nodding and turning to pick up the equipment bag before cracking his back with a grimace, but his body had healed fast: his stitching was still in over the large, crescent-shaped scars, but only for safety's sake more than anything else. It itched, but he wasn't afraid it was going to tear: for some reason, he really did feel almost completely sure that when they went to investigate the ruins again, they wouldn't find Psukhikos there. In fact, he thought they might not see any enemies at all. But they were going in prepared: Shining Armor and Little Luna were both coming with them, and this time Twilight Sparkle had agreed to stay behind, as long as she got to help them prepare beforehoof. And she had outdone herself, Antares was surprised to find: the violet mare had delved through the ancient archives, digging up every legend and old incantation she could with the help of Princess Celestia, and put together three helms with bands of runes around their crowns, designed to block out mental attacks and psychic signals. Shining Armor and Little Luna would both be wearing one, and she gifted Antares with one of the strange, purple-steel full helms as well when they met in the large front hall of Canterlot Castle. The stallion had shrugged and switched out his coronet for it, and frowned in surprise at the faint static that entered his head before Morning Glory leaned down and studied it meticulously, murmuring: “How interesting.” “It's... it's a combination of what we always considered myth and research done by Starswirl the Bearded.” Twilight explained with a faint smile, blushing a little, and Antares softened as he studied her: she felt ashamed of herself, blamed herself for what had happened in the ruins... but it wasn't her fault in the slightest. “It took a lot of time, but Princess Celestia helped me...” “All I did was provide my knowledge of runes and... old magic. Things I am usually hesitant to share with others but in this case... was glad to make an exception for.” Celestia said softly, and she smiled a little as she looked over the group in front of her, flanked by Silvergrim and Cadence. “We're all wishing you the very best, my friends. If I can be of any help at all...” Antares only laughed a little, glancing over his shoulder: Sleipnir and Pinkamena both stood at the ready, Aphrodisia had her head proudly raised, Avalon was hovering in the air and Meadowlark, as always, was close at his side. Morning Glory lingered at the other, still studying his helm with interest, but Antares tried to ignore the Destroyer looming over him as he said softly: “It's really appreciated... from all of you.” He drew his eyes over Twilight, and her friends in the background, as they all smiled supportively at him, but none of them spoke. He didn't think any of them knew what to say, and he felt a moment of self-consciousness, but he swallowed it back as he turned his eyes to Princess Celestia, saying quietly: “We'll be back, don't worry. Thank you for looking after Tender Trust while we do this, I don't want to see her hurt.” The half-Phooka herself smiled awkwardly from beside the Fluttershy of this layer, and the golden Pegasus was the one who spoke up, murmuring: “It's my pleasure... it's an honor, really. Just please... come back without... well...” “I know. And I'm going to do my best to. I promise.” Antares smiled back, bowing his head silently before he turned around and said quietly: “Alright, everyone. Let's move out.” The group nodded to him, and Antares led the procession out of the castle and through the streets of Canterlot, on the route he felt like he had walked too many times now, back towards the ruins of the fallen island. Ponies stared at them as they passed, some waved, some even cheered them on, but Antares was barely even aware of them even when he managed to smile back or nod in the direction of those who greeted them. All he could think about was the fallen fortress, what might await inside, and... Psukhikos, and what she had done to him. His back ached, but not in a physical sense: it felt like his wings were trying to shiver, except... he didn't have wings anymore. There was a ghostly sensation there, and something like fear made a physical tickling through his system as he breathed slowly in and out, trying to reassure himself that everything was going to be okay. He tried to focus on that feeling, that Psukhikos was gone, that they were just going to investigate, and then allow Princess Celestia and General Silvergrim to take over completely and begin demolishing the floating island, but this wasn't a rational fear any more than it was physical pain. They walked in silence for most of the journey, and Antares felt like the fortress was mocking him when they reached it, inviting him in, the structure curling towards him in contempt. He barely heard the guard when he explained that there had been no further signs of life, and that stable routes had been clearly marked, the unicorn only nodding his way through the conversation. He was anxious to go inside, and at the same time, terrified of it: he wanted to bulldoze through his fear, and also give in to it. It made his legs quake, and his no-longer-there wings flap and try to furl and tense up. He felt malice coming from the floating island, but he also felt hollowness, and he wasn't sure which one he was imagining: either this was still a place with evil lurking inside, or it was nothing but an abandoned shell. It was Little Luna, surprisingly, who flew in front of Antares and dropped down to look into his eyes, and the stallion gazed back at her dumbly before she said quietly: “Listen to me, Antares Mīrus. None of us will blame you for staying here, and waiting for us. But since I know you will not... let me take the lead. If there's an ambush or attack on us, it will give you more time to think.” “Princess Luna, wait a minute, you're-” Shining Armor began, but then he winced when the mare glared past Antares at him. “I... Little Luna, look, I promised to keep you safe. This is the opposite of keeping you safe. Let me take the lead instead.” “No. You don't understand what it's like to... to have to prove yourself, Shining Armor. Not in the way we have.” Little Luna turned a small smile back to Antares, and Shining Armor grimaced a little and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Actually, I... ever since the changeling invasion, I've been trying to make up for that. I think I know well enough what it's like to have weight on your shoulders.” Shining Armor said quietly, and Little Luna laughed quietly as the stallion frowned. “What?” “No, Shining Armor, you do not. Because no matter what your failings, you also have always been given a chance to atone for them. Your shield spell, with Cadence's empowerment, blasted Chrysalis and all her changelings into exile for a time, didn't it?” Little Luna asked quietly, looking over at him calmly, and the Captain of the Guard shifted awkwardly. “I never conquered Nightmare Moon myself. I still am too weak to do it on my own. But I can learn to be strong here, and if you truly want to protect me, Captain Armor... then you will let me take the lead.” “When you say that, I guess I have to, too.” Antares murmured softly, looking up with a small smile, and Little Luna gazed down at him with silent gratitude as Shining Armor sighed and slumped a little, before Antares added quietly: “Morning Glory, you and I will flank Little Luna. But she's the head of the pack. Sleipnir, Pinkamena, stay back with Meadowlark, Shining Armor, I'm assigning you to magic artillery in the middle and Apps, you bring up the rear. Ava, I probably don't have to remind you where you belong.” Avalon grinned, taking to the air and crossing her forelegs, and Little Luna smiled silently over at the glossy-black unicorn, nodding to him slowly. He nodded back, and the two studied each other for a moment before the sapphire mare cleared her throat and faced ahead, saying quietly: “Let us both strive to conquer ourselves, Antares Mīrus. But let us do so with one-another's help.” Antares nodded slowly at this, and when Little Luna started forwards, the rest of the group fell in pace behind her. She still listened to Antares gladly, following his instructions and letting him retain control of the group... but she walked at the head in spite of her fear, teaching herself a different kind of courage than had propelled her through the earlier battles with this floating fortress. She was teaching herself that she could do anything she put her mind to, that she could trust in those around her to step up to her side if she needed it, but she had the strength to be the first in line to face the evil that lurked in both daylight and darkness. They explored downwards first: Antares felt a little... eager, for lack of a better word, to check out whatever was waiting for them down below. He was surprised to find that the shutter that Sleipnir had previously lifted had been pried open and locked in place by two steel support bars on either side of the plated gate, and the enormous earth pony remarked at this: “How curious. I admire the bravery and fortitude of the soldiers to have come this far, as I plainly remember dropping that shutter after we managed to stage a retreat.” Antares didn't remember anything past collapsing after his encounter with Psukhikos, and the others hadn't told him much about it. All he was glad was that everypony had made it out alive. But his memory of every other detail was sharp as ever, and he was already frowning as they made their way out onto the metal walkway, even as Avalon muttered: “Wait a minute... wasn't the machinery running before?” But it no longer was, and nor were any sounds coming from the freight room. The corpses lay where they had been left, as well, and Morning Glory looked with disgust at the putrefying bodies of the Necrotrophs, which were both swarming with all variety of nasty-looking insects. They passed without any problems, at least... although Antares shivered when they made their way into the room where he had fought Psukhikos, and he saw the stains left behind from his destroyed wings. He looked at these for the longest time, and the others gave him a moment of pause, as he rubbed a hoof slowly over his breastplate. He thought about how his mother had always told him to be careful with his wings: thanks to the fact they had been created by magic and fused permanently to his body, they didn't heal the best and magic had to be used to heal any larger rips or tears that formed in the flesh. But now they were simply gone forever, and he didn't even know whether the doctors had done him a favor by removing the aching stumps, or if they had just ensured he would never have wings again... He shook himself out of his stupor, then cleared his throat and gestured at an open archway, murmuring: “She... she fled through there. Let's take a look down that way, just... be careful.” A shiver ran through the stallion, and he reflexively tried to furl his wings... before cursing under his breath as he only felt his back flex and pain run through his system. He had just been thinking about it, how he didn't even have wings anymore, and yet... there he had just gone and tried to... goddammit. Goddammit... He shook his head quickly, then looked up and forced a smile to Little Luna when she looked at him uncertainly. He nodded after a moment, and she nodded hesitantly back before turning ahead and murmuring: “Alright. Then let us... keep our eyes open.” The passage curved around and led into a large, warehouse-like area, but one section of this had collapsed and there were broken crates and other debris laying throughout the wide cement room. One passageway was completely blocked by this and fallen chunks of ceiling, but there was another open corridor marked by smears of blood, and a broken piece of silver sword that gleamed silently on the ground like a beacon. Antares shivered a bit at the sight of this, and Little Luna halted to study the broken blade, before her eyes followed the trail of blood leading from it: the trail thickened visibly down the corridor, and the sapphire mare murmured: “Perhaps luck will favor us, and this Clockwork Pony was mortally injured after all...” “No. No, I would have noticed that. But I might have hit her in the lung, at least... believe me, that takes the fight out of almost anyone.” Antares muttered, and Little Luna smiled faintly before they continued onwards. There were doors on either side of the corridor, but for now they followed the blood trail, which led them to one in particular: it opened on a large, rectangular room with looming, broken towers of machinery supported on large, square bases, standing like sentinels in front of a raised platform and a shattered portal ring. The blood trail led straight to the ring, and Antares cursed before Morning Glory strode eagerly forwards, her eyes gleaming as she whispered: “Look at this...” “It's been destroyed, though, like everything in that place outside Appleloosa...” Antares began slowly, but then he frowned as the Destroyer only laughed as she approached the portal platform, gazing back and forth over it eagerly. “What is it?” “No, you're wrong. This overloaded and eroded, but it wasn't destroyed on purpose. It melted from being left active for a long period of time... if we were even a few hours earlier, we might have been able to follow her right to wherever she fled to lick her wounds.” Morning Glory's eyes almost glowed as she studied the portal eagerly, and now Pinkamena strode forwards as well, a slow grin spreading over her own features as she understood- “We can salvage this. Take it apart and make our own... take what the little forged god was too scared to share with us.” “Aye, but art thou willing to pay the price to turn such a thing on, Morning Glory?” asked Sleipnir quietly, gesturing towards one of the six pillars of machinery, and Antares frowned as he looked towards it. Enormous tubes and pistons covered it as well as grim-looking runes, and the stallion opened his mouth... before shivering when Sleipnir tore one of the tubes free, and sludgy mire burst out along with a reddish, coagulated substance that could only be... oh Horses of Heaven... “Do not forget what these Clockwork abominations use to power their soulless machinations... the living, and the dead alike.” “And in Helheim, demon prisoners were often enslaved to be used as batteries themselves. We should do the same.” Morning Glory said coldly over her shoulder, but when Antares winced and many of the others only looked up at the demon with disbelief or horror, she snorted in disgust. “Oh, and what is this? Are none of you willing to go to whatever lengths it takes to stop these monsters? Give up a few worthless lives, a few lives that have already used up all their chances at redemption and atonement, in order to hunt these Replicants down. I get my war, and you get to stop them from harming or killing the innocent. What's wrong with sacrificing the guilty to save the innocent?” “Then if that must be done, I would offer myself, for much blood stains mine own hooves and I have already lived not once, but twice.” Sleipnir replied with a smile, and Morning Glory looked stunned by this honest, gentle response before the enormous stallion chuckled quietly at the glare he got from Pinkamena, and the worried look that came from Aphrodisia. “But nay. Let us not do what is not necessary at all. I agree though, this should be salvaged, but... if it is to be rebuilt, let it be built lesser, as something that can be powered without the need of wasting lives. For not even the lowest life is without merit or worth.” Morning Glory muttered something about 'romantic notions,' but bowed her head in respect and deference all the same. Then Little Luna hesitated before turning her eyes to Antares, asking quietly: “Do we send message to have this retrieved now? Or do we continue to explore...” “We know that Psukhikos is gone. We can relax a little... but only a little. There might still be Dullahan or other Clockwork creatures here, we need to be careful not to get into any fights with them.” Antares said quietly, and the others nodded before the stallion hesitated, then turned his eyes to Aphrodisia. “Go out, quick, and tell the guards that we're securing the area bit-by-bit. Lead them to this location... we'll catch up with you when we can.” Aphrodisia nodded quickly, then leapt forwards and hugged Antares firmly for a moment, making him blush a little as he felt Shining Armor's gaze settle meditatively on him and saw Morning Glory roll her eyes. But then Aphrodisia burst backwards into black smoke that whirled quickly out of the room, and the Destroyer said moodily: “I suppose it could be worse. I much prefer dependability over professionalism... but I do also come from Hell. From what little I know of Heaven, they'd much prefer to look polished than function properly.” Sleipnir only smiled amusedly at this, however, shaking his head and rubbing his front hooves easily together. “Now come, be fair, sweet shieldmaiden. If Valhalla was so concerned with how it looks, the great feast halls where the mighty food wars take place would not exist, and be so happily populated. Although I must sadly admit that never once has Kvasir participated in these most glorious events, no matter how I poke and plead with him to at least give it a try.” Morning Glory sighed tiredly and rolled her eyes at this; Little Luna, meanwhile, turned her attention to Antares as she asked quietly: “So where do you suggest heading next, Antares? And how do we secure this area?” “By checking every nook and cranny for any signs of the enemy. First, I want us all to break off into pairs, and we'll check all the rooms in this corridor. Then we're going to go back into that warehouse, do a more thorough search of it together, and see if that blocked corridor is accessible at all. If anyone sees anything at all, call out.” Antares said quietly, looking back and forth, before he smiled a little over at Meadowlark. “You're with me. Morning Glory, go with Little Luna. Sleipnir, you and... Shining Armor. Avalon, have fun with Pinkamena.” The others all nodded, although Shining Armor only looked awkwardly up at the enormous earth pony as he strode over and slapped the Captain of the Guard cheerfully on the back, making him wince. “We have not had much time to talk have we, my friend? And yet thou holds a most prestigious position and has a most beautiful wife, does thou not, loyal sir of Canterlot?” Shining Armor only smiled lamely, and Antares shook his head in entertainment before he turned to head towards the doorway, the others following and then breaking up into their assigned pairs. But before anyone could even begin to search the rooms they chose, Avalon called out awkwardly from the end of the corridor: “Uh, guys? I think this counts as 'something.'” Avalon and Pinkamena had pried open a set of armored double doors to find the floor covered in wax and webbing. Bugs were still crawling here and there over walls covered in muck and smile, and the others stared in disbelief before Antares awkwardly patted Ava on the back and said lamely: “Good choice. Have fun.” “Oh I hate you so goddamn much. Fine, I'll scout ahead, but if anything happens to me I'm blaming you.” Avalon muttered, and Pinkamena rolled her eyes before the demon followed the tiny Pegasus as she flitted nervously into the fleshy-looking hall, shivering once. “Reeks... and... even the ceiling is covered and... there's bugs everywhere...” “But lots of them are dead.” Pinkamena muttered, before looking over her shoulder and saying distastefully: “Stop your goddamn gawking. Go do your own damn jobs, me and the midget have got this. I'll call if someone needs to change her diaper.” “I'm going to leave you to get eaten if we come across a giant bug.” Avalon muttered moodily, and Antares sighed and shook his head before he turned around and gestured to the others, and they once more went their separate ways, even as the glossy-black unicorn looked hesitantly over his shoulder towards the fleshy, bug-infested passage behind him. After about ten minutes, they were gathered back in the corridor together, Avalon shivering a little and wiping goo off her body as Pinkamena reported moodily: “Found two more of those Necrotroph things. Both dead and rotting, though... and there were a few dead ponies, too. Don't think the bugs did it, though... even if the bugs had been chewing on 'em for a while.” “Gross, guys, it was just gross.” Avalon muttered, wiping at herself a few times. “Stupid goddamn... hives in there, too... goo all over... bugs everywhere, hate damn stupid bugs and I smell like piss. Cat piss.” “Ammonia.” Meadowlark said quietly, and when Avalon glared at her, the Pegasus shook her head. “They might be producing it as waste or poison or... fertilizer, maybe.” Avalon's glare turned slowly into a wince as she shrank her head back a bit, and Antares grimaced himself before Pinkamena continued, unperturbed: “Looks like there was a whole network of passages back there, though, and I don't wanna guess how big that hive is. Gross as hell, but it looks to me like a lot of the bigger bugs have died out. Also looked like there was some broken machinery, and more corruption.” The others nodded, and then Morning Glory said moodily: “I didn't find anything with the Princess. Just bunkrooms.” “Storeroom. Polishes, some simple equipment, cleaning supplies. Nothing of real interest, though.” Shining Armor added, as Sleipnir nodded in confirmation and absently patted the satchel at his side, and Antares smiled at the gesture: it immediately told him that the earth pony had helped himself to some of what they'd found. “Meadowlark and I found a bedroom. Didn't look like Psukhikos was staying there, though, didn't find anything with a quick search, but...” Antares hesitated, looking down before he shook his head slowly. “Don't ask me why, but I think Thesis was staying there. I mean, he obviously wasn't there... probably hadn't been there for a while, but... I felt like it was his, all the same.” “Great story, kid. Next time give it more of a point.” Pinkamena said dryly, and when the unicorn gave her a flat look, she only shrugged before asking mildly: “So are we moving on now, or what? I want to kill something.” Antares sighed at this, shaking his head slowly. “Let's... head back into the warehouse and search it like I said, then. The soldiers should begin arriving by the time we're done.” The others nodded, and the rest of their time in the ruins was surprisingly uneventful... almost monotonous, in fact. It now felt like nothing more than a dead shell that they were combing for answers they knew they were unlikely to find, but Antares was admittedly glad for it. With the sense of malice gone, he had little problem getting his thoughts in better order, and efficiently directing both his own team and the soldiers and engineers that arrived to help lock down the ruins and salvage what little there was to find. Apart from the portal, and the strange, abandoned machinery, the only other thing they found of interest was several hours later, after they had broken into two smaller teams to explore a little faster. Antares, Meadowlark, Little Luna and Morning Glory discovered it on one of the upper levels they ventured carefully into, just beneath the surface of the island and where the ceiling above was covered in cracks, sections of it caved completely in here and there, leaving a dangerous maze for them to wade through. Morning Glory and Little Luna helped make the going a little easier with their magic, but it was still difficult: pushing up and stabilizing one section of hallway sometimes caused a shift that destabilized another. But Antares had felt that the travel would be worth it, and he was proven right when they reached a small vault at the end of the corridor. Morning Glory made short work of the door, melting the edges of it before simply ripping it off its hinges, making Antares stare and wonder stupidly if she was even stronger than Sleipnir. Antares had headed into the narrow, small vault alone, to take a quick look around... and emerged with a broken sphere of damaged crystal, very similar to the Eye of Psukhikos that they had destroyed. Unnatural power still pulsed inside it, and Morning Glory had studied this with interest, but had only said: “You've succeeded Antares. Better than I think you understand.” They spent another hour or so searching the ruins, but there was nothing else: so finally, they had turned everything over to Silvergrim, who had come out once a messenger had reported that all enemies had apparently fled. Antares thought that was either true or very close: they hadn't encountered a single Dullahan, after all, and the most they'd seen of any other Clockwork creatures were corpses or decomposing stains on the floors. Yet in spite of everything, Antares felt... almost disappointed as they returned to Canterlot. He and Little Luna walked side-by-side, the others following a short distance behind, as the winged unicorn asked quietly: “So I suppose you'll be returning to your home layer soon, won't you?” “We've... we got what we came for, yeah. And we helped stop Psukhikos... so we just have to send up a signal from a safe place, and Kvasir will have a portal opened for us. We might have to sit around for a few hours, but...” Antares smiled and shook his head, murmuring: “Yeah, we did what we came here to do.” Little Luna studied him silently, then she smiled faintly and asked quietly: “I cannot come with you, can I? I'd... I'd dearly love to see your world. I want to see Luna Brynhild again... I want to meet your world's Celestia, and Twilight Sparkle...” “And they'd all love to see you, but... you're the Princess of the Night here, among other things.” Antares smiled a little, even as Little Luna sighed and nodded, looking moodily down. “And I think you're ready to face her. You don't need any more help.” Little Luna looked up sharply, and Antares shrugged a bit as he blushed a little as he gazed ahead. “Sorry. But my whole... eyes-thing. I see into people and... well, I'm not the only one who's seen this. It's not just that my Mom left such a big effect on you, although that started it... you want to conquer Nightmare Moon. And I think even Princess Celestia sees it, because I can't think of any other reason why she'd let you risk yourself so much... but... I think you can now, Little Luna. I think you've always been strong enough to, as a matter of fact...” He looked down, nodding slowly once before he glanced towards her again, saying softly: “But stop thinking of it like a fight, because it's not. It's not about strength or weakness... overcoming her by nothing but raw force isn't going to defeat her. It's just going to make her come back, bigger and meaner. And you can't forget that she is you, and... I've never... I've never become some evil alter form of myself, but I have been forced to... to see myself at my worst. And I know I could become that again, I could... hurt people, and make stupid mistakes.” Little Luna leaned forwards, gesturing for him to go on, and Antares blushed a little before he smiled faintly and said quietly: “I grew up learning discipline, and honor. What I forgot to learn was... accepting myself. If I push too hard to be this hero, this... this savior, I'll just snap and end up going in the other direction. But if I accept myself, accept that I have flaws... it becomes easier to handle those moments where I just wanna break and hurt someone. I can swallow the pain, because I can remember that... it's okay I feel like this sometimes. Much as it hurts... it's okay to fail.” He closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head and said softly: “Nightmare Moon is a part of you. Her strength comes from you trying to reject that, and make her into someone else. Accept her, Little Luna. It's okay to have a little darkness in you.” The sapphire mare looked at him quietly, and then Antares smiled and gestured over his shoulder, adding quietly: “Besides, you got something that Nightmare Moon doesn't, too. All us as your friends, your big sister, everyone who looks up to you. You're not alone.” There was silence for a few moments, and then Little Luna leaned over and kissed his cheek, and Antares smiled and shifted away as the sapphire mare murmured an embarrassed: “Thank you.” And in that one moment, Antares felt more accomplished than he had over the entire time he'd spent in this layer, as he smiled over at Little Luna and nodded to her in both welcome and gratitude. They had destroyed a floating island, defeated a Replicant, and saved countless lives... but he knew all too well that sometimes it was in helping a single soul that made all the difference in the universe. Top ↑